Wired examines whether or not the recession can work as a bargaining chip when negotiating with your various monthly services, and the answer is a resounding (and probably somewhat obvious), "Yes it can."

"The business climate is changing, and we continuously adjust for that," says Robyn Watson, PR director at Time Warner Cable. That's code for "Let's talk." Operators are standing by, and they're trained to cycle through a script that's dripping with juicy options. Negotiate well and you'll tease out the goodies they tried to withhold at first.

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Everyone's looking to save a little extra cash wherever they can find it, and like we've already told you, sometimes all it takes is a willingness to ask.

This advice holds true outside of a recession, but it's even more effective when you've got the recession as an added bargaining chip. A few years ago if you came to your cable provider with a sob story about how you're strapped for cash, you'd have gotten much less flexibility than you will today—when the cable company is likely just as worried about their bottom line. So go nuts, and save some serious scratch in the process. Hit up the post for a few suggestions on how to best approach the recession-fueled negotiation.